French Foreign Minister: Putin’s “Easter truce” was a marketing operation to influence Trump

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot believes that Russia’s so-called “Easter truce” with Ukraine was a “marketing operation” by Russia to win the trust of US President Donald Trump.

Barrot said that the temporary “truce” that Kremlin master Vladimir Putin announced on Saturday, which Kyiv immediately and repeatedly accused Moscow of violating, was only for show.

“The Easter truce, which he (Vladimir Putin) announced somewhat unexpectedly, was a marketing operation, a seduction operation aimed at preventing President Trump from becoming impatient and angry,” Jean-Noël Barrot told FranceInfo.

“Nevertheless, despite the many, many hundreds and thousands of violations noted by the Ukrainians, there has been a decrease in the intensity of drone strikes and long-range missiles,” Barrot added.

“Last week, we welcomed American and Ukrainian delegations—the first time, in fact, that Americans, Europeans, and Ukrainians were at the same table. The meeting was an opportunity to express to the Americans, who are positioned as mediators, the expectations and red lines of Europeans and Ukrainians,” the French minister stated.

Russia has rejected the proposal for a complete ceasefire, putting forward a long list of conditions that postpone its implementation. Russia has also repeatedly violated the agreement not to strike Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days.

US President Donald Trump is increasingly doubtful that he will succeed in ending the war. He says he is “furious” with Putin while criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.